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H1Z1 Starter Guide: Into the Fire

So, you’ve decided to shell out 20 bucks to get early access to H1Z1. You’ve logged into the game, looked at the server rule sets, and have decided on the server you will be playing on. You’ve created your character, hit the “Play” button and have dropped into the middle of nowhere. You’ve taken a moment to take in your surroundings and realize that you don’t have a single clue on what to do. If this is currently you, you’ve come to the right place.

Welcome to Maljas’s H1Z1 Beginner’s Survival Guide. This guide will teach you the very basics on surviving your very first steps into the zombie infested hot zone. As this game is only an alpha, everything currently is subject to change. This means that this guide may not be as valid as the game is updated. For now, sit back, relax, and be assured that your survival is guaranteed if you finish this guide.

Understanding the Inventory System

Before you begin exploring the world, you will first need to understand how carrying around items in your inventory works. By press “I” you will open up the inventory screen for the very first time. You may notice that you will have couple of items already, including a hand flashlight, a torn shirt, a pair of jeans, a belt and some medical supplies. There are three types of items in H1Z1: Consumables, Non-consumables, and Storage items.

Consumable items are items that disappear when used. Medical bandages are an example of this type.

Non-consumable Items are items that are used constantly without worry of disappearing on usage. These items are permanent as long as you do not lose them yourself. Weapons are the perfect example of this type.

Storage items are items in your inventory used to carry the other two types of items. The pair of jeans and shirt, you start off with, are examples of this type.

Consumable and Non-consumable items are very straightforward, but Storage items can be confusing to understand since they carry the other two types. In your inventory, Storage items all have a number that represents the amount of “bulk” that is being carried by said items. This means that you can have multiple storage items equip all at the same time. Being at max capacity with one storage item does not mean other storage items cannot carry items for you. Each storage item has a separate max capacity.

In your inventory, you will also notice 4 bars with icons next to them representing four, different but important, statuses key to your survival: Health, Stamina, Energy, and Hydration.

Health represents how much damage you can take before your die. Typically, external forces such as other players, zombies, and wild-life will be the things affecting this bar, though being dehydrated or enduring starvation can also reduce it.

Stamina represents your ability to sprint. The more you sprint, the more this bar will be reduced. Stop sprinting to restore it.

Energy represents how hungry you are. It is possible to die from starvation, so be sure to eat constantly.

Hydration represents how thirsty you are. Just as with Energy, it is possible to die from dehydration so be sure to drink as necessary.

Preventing Death: Starvation and Dehydration

Food(Energy in-game) and Water(Hydration in-game) are completely required for survival, and in order to get these necessities you will need to somehow find it. Since you start out in the wilderness, there will be plenty of sources of food and water nearby.

Though it is not immediately obvious, you can harvest collectable items by running over to them in the world and press the “Use” key (defaulted to “E”). Likely in your vicinity are Blackberry bushes that can be harvested and eaten for a small amount of both Energy and Hydration. Pressing “E” on these bushes will place the berries somewhere in your inventory. Right clicking them will bring up a small menu with a few different options, with “Eat” being one of them. From my experience, these berries are littered all over the world, so survival outside of civilization is fairly possible if you continuously harvest berries wherever you go.

Preventing Death: Zombies, Wild-Life, and Players

While Starvation and Dehydration are certainly threats to your life, Zombies, Wildlife, and Players are far more dangerous due to their nature to find you before you find them. When you begin, you will only have your fist to fight back. This is simply not enough, especially the more you play. You will find yourself quickly overwhelmed if you are not alert of your surroundings. The key is to not fight battles you do not think you can win. Fleeing to fight another day is a completely sound strategy.
You may be able to deal with a zombie or two with you fist, but zombies all known to attack in hordes. Being surrounded by them is pretty much a death-sentence, so never stop moving and never stop paying attention. You’ll need superior visual and audio prowess to survival the zombie horde.

Wild-Life is similar to dealing with Zombies, only they tend to move much faster, and tend to find you more often than you finding them. There are harmless animals out there that you can use for food, but the problem is dealing with the dangerous ones. Wolfs often attack in packs, and running from a pack of wolfs is extremely difficult due to them simply being faster than you. Unless you are armed, I would highly advise you to be very alert while you are in the wilderness. Typically, you will not come across wolfs in civilized areas, but it isn’t impossible. Always be aware of howling, as it is a surefire sign that a wolf pack is nearby. Careful movement is the key to surviving them. Besides wolfs, you will likely encounter full-grown bears in the wilderness and sometimes in civilized areas. Bears are solidary, so you will not likely find a group of bears coming after you. However, one bear is more than enough to ruin your day. Unlike with wolfs, beating a bear to death with just your fist is nearly impossible. Unless you are armed with guns, I would highly advise fleeing if you see one. They can take a lot punishment and are tough to bring down. They also run faster than you, and escaping them is very difficult if you aren’t near a town or city.

Finally, other Players pose the largest threat you will likely ever encounter in H1Z1. Players, unlike zombies and wild-life, can and will pose as an ally and stab you in the back later. Unless you are on some sort of voice chat program, like Teamspeak, I would advise you consider all other players enemies. They are ruthless, cunning, and unpredictable, and this is what makes them so dangerous. Lastly, other players can be armed with weapons, such as guns, just as you can, making them dangerous even from a distance. “Bandit” are players that tend to group in packs to rob and kill others in order to take their stuff and make themselves better off in the zombie apocalypse. Be extremely wary if anyone you see. I cannot stress this enough.

The Epilogue

If you have read through to this point of the guide, you are now ready to survival the horrors of the zombie apocalypse in H1Z1. In a future guide, I will cover, in more detail, the importance of hunting animals, crafting items, teaming with other players, and more. I hope you have found this guide helpful and detailed enough to survive with a clear objective in mind. Keep your eyes and ears open, and live through the impending hell, survivor. See you in-game.